THURSDAY, MAY 3 Maia Danziger signs ‘Relax & Write: Tapping Your Unconscious for Life & Art,’ 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. In her book (with an accompanying CD), Danziger demystifies the writing process, sharing insights and anecdotes from her experiences and those of her students. Theodore Bikel and Alberto Mizrahi, two celebrated figures of Jewish music, come together in a celebratory concert tonight, 7:30 p.m. at Kehillat Israel synagogue, 16019 Sunset. Tickets are $72 at the door. (See story, page 13.) FRIDAY, MAY 4 The public is invited to participate in ‘Full Moon Hike: A Journey through Time,’ 7 p.m. in Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset. Hikers should bring water and a jacket; flashlights are optional. Meet in the front parking lot. The program is free; parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395. Theatre Palisades production of ‘The Hot L Baltimore,’ at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Performances continue Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through May 13. For tickets, call 454-1970. SATURDAY, MAY 5 Opening reception for an exhibition by Israeli photographer Tal Yizrael, 2 to 6 p.m., Sharq private gallery in Pacific Palisades. For directions, contact (310) 454-6826. SUNDAY, MAY 6 Inaugural Technology Fair, presented by the Palisades Chamber of Commerce, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Antioch Street. (See story, page TK.) Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra presents the Artists of Tomorrow program, 3 p.m. at the Paul Revere Middle School Auditorium, 1450 Allenford. The free program features eight soloists, winners of the annual competition involving 36 talented young musicians. MONDAY, MAY 7 Garden writer Pam Waterman will give a talk on New Zealand gardens for Palisades Garden Club members and guests, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Dr. TUESDAY, MAY 8 Annual meeting of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association, 7 p.m., Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited. (See story, page TK.) Los Angeles composer Henri Lazarof will premier his newest composition, ‘Ensemble II for String Quartet and Four Hands,’ at Chamber Music Palisades’ final concert of the season, 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda. Tickets at the door ($25) or by calling 454-2177 or 459-2070. (See story, page 12). WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 Monthly meeting of the Palisades AARP chapter, 2 p.m. in the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. (See story, page TK.) THURSDAY, MAY 10 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. Palisades High grad Harry Medved discusses and signs ‘Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoers Guide to Exploring Southern California’s Great Outdoors,’ 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. FRIDAY, MAY 11 Campfire program in Temescal Canyon features the life of the chaparral, 7 p.m. in the campfire center by the dining hall in Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset. Parking is $5. Contact: (310) 454-1395 ext. 106.
News in Brief: PaliHi Enrollment, LAUSD Police Suit
Palisades High Accepts 50 More Revere Students Off Waiting List The waiting list to become a first-year student at Palisades Charter High School got a lot smaller this week, after the school accepted 50 additional Paul Revere Charter Middle School students. Also, the school accepted 50 more Revere students into the magnet program, which has a separate admissions policy. Applications far exceeded available seats at the high-performing, 2,700-student school. That meant that school officials were not able to guarantee admission to Revere students who don’t live in the Palisades, ending a 40-year feeding pattern, as reported in the Palisadian-Post (’60 Win Pali Seats, Error Means Fewer Transfers,’ March 22, 2007). Another reason that admission to Pali has been uncertain for Revere students has been the result of conflicting feeding patterns. Revere is required to accept students from some communities like Venice, but PaliHi is not. Also, some students who attend Brentwood elementary schools like Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary are guaranteed seats at Revere, but not at Pali. Some Brentwood residents fear that if the trend of high enrollment continues, the school’s existing admissions policy might exclude their children from attending PaliHi. Responding to this concern, the Brentwood Community Council unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday night that urges the high school and LAUSD to align their feeding patterns and their admissions policies. The school was able to extend admission to those previously waitlisted, after parents of applicants confirmed that they did not intend to enroll at the school next fall. According to the latest school numbers, 55 Revere students remain on the waiting list, which includes 35 magnet students. Accepting those remaining students will depend on late enrollment from Palisades residents. School officials say that by May 15 they might be able to accept more Revere students from the waiting list. Civil Rights Trial Against School Cop Begins A lawsuit against Los Angeles School Police Officer John Taylor began on Wednesday in a federal courthouse downtown. Among other accusations, the suit alleges that on February 4, 2005, after a high school basketball game, Taylor grabbed a 15-year-old Crenshaw High student by the collar and belt, threw her to the ground and beat her over the knees with a baton. After that incident, the officer was reassigned to patrol public schools in the Westside, including Pacific Palisades. Last September, he was involved in a violent confrontation, where he used pepper spray to subdue several Paul Revere Charter Elementary students and adult bystanders near the CVS Pharmacy. Following several complaints of excessive force against the officer, the School Police Department began an internal investigation into his actions. The Palisades Community Council asked School Police Chief Lawrence Manion to consider reassigning the officer away from the Palisades, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The outcome of that investigation is not yet known. Nisaa Madyun, who filed the suit against Taylor on behalf of her daughter, seeks compensatory damages for physical injury and emotional distress. The trial is expected to last two weeks. ———– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
Lagana to Receive Mort Farberow Award
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
If anyone understands the value of giving back, it’s lifelong Palisadian Sam Lagana. Throughout his adult life, he has dedicated his time and energy to making the community in which he lives a better place for his kids and their kids after that. In recognition of his tireless work for numerous local organizations, Lagana is this year’s recipient of the Mort Farberow Award, which will be presented at the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce installation dinner June 14 at the Riviera Country Club. Upon learning of the honor, Lagana expressed surprise, gratitude and, most of all, respect and admiration for the man the award is named after. ‘I’m Unbelievably honored and humbled to receive this kind of distinction,’ Lagana said. ‘I was a huge fan of Mort’s. I saw him work as a mentor-leader by the way he just embraced people. He opened his place to encourage leadership. He was there to support you. He and Bobbie grew their business from the counter deli to a community landmark and fostered a sense of give-back that I took to heart.’ Now in its fifth year, the Mort Farberow Award was established in memory of the past Chamber of Commerce president who owned and managed Mort’s Deli on Swarthmore for over 25 years. The award emphasizes three things Mort held dear: community, Chamber and children. One way Lagana gives back is as a member of the Board of Managers for the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, where he offers advice and insight into how the facility on Via de la Paz can better serve Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Topanga. ‘Giving back is critical,’ Lagana has always said. ‘There are a number of ways to do that’by serving our families, our faith, our community and our country. The YMCA fills several of those aspects for me, especially sharing of the community spirit ‘ Lagana grew up in the Palisades and now lives in the Marquez area with his wife Eileen and daughters Cambria (12) and Cienna (8), both students at Corpus Christi. He is an active member of both the John Wooden Award national steering committee and the American Legion Sons of the American Legion’s Squadron 283 executive council. On July 4 he can be seen and heard announcing at the annual PAPA parade. In serving the Chamber, Lagana has been involved with committee work since the mid-1990s. Last year he co-chaired the Holiday Ho! Ho! Ho! committee. In serving children, he has been active as a coach at the Recreation Center and YMCA for girls’ basketball for six years. Twice he has been elected to serve as Chief of the Indian Guides and Princess Nation and he frequently volunteers his time extending the message of ‘Positive Coaching’ to AYSO and the YMCA. Professionally, Lagana has made sports advancement his life’s work both in the Palisades and just up the road at Pepperdine University in Malibu, where he is the Assistant Vice Chancellor. As head of the Waves Club, he oversees a group of alumni and donors to spearhead several projects on campus, including fundraising for an athletic village that would add a 26,000-sq.-ft. enhancement to Firestone Fieldhouse. ‘Sports have been an important part of my life,’ said Lagana, who was a promising basketball player at Palisades High until a back injury brought a sudden end to his prep career. ‘Whether playing, coaching, announcing or administrating, I have always enjoyed the passion, camaraderie and strategy that goes into producing a moment of competitive greatness.’ Lagana is proud to join past Mort Farberow Award winners Bob Benton, Bob Sharka, Roberta Donohue and Cheryel Kanan. ‘These are people who have meant a lot to me,’ Lagana said. ‘I’ve know Bob Benton since he opened his store. I’ve seen what Bob Sharka and Roberta and Cheryel have done. I’m grateful to the people who have worked beside me and with me. If you surround yourself with great people, great things happen.’
Greene Gives ‘Tweens’ Voice
Move over Simon Cowell. Palisades vocal coach Dana Greene is training the next generation of singing talent. Her student, Teira Church, 14, just won a 2007 Music Center Spotlight Award. A veteran musician and performer, Greene trained Church using her specialized vocal techniques geared toward the young changing voice. Church’s grand prize win was in the category of ‘Non-Classical Voice’ at the 19th Annual Spotlight Awards held April 14 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The event featured young contestants selected from 2,000 hopefuls. Church and the other finalists received cash scholarships. An innovative music instructor, Greene is the founder of Kids Camp Idol that offers kids ages 7 to 12 a head start on their vocal technique. “While there are kids with natural talents, vocal instruction in this ‘tween age range requires a special sensitivity to their changing bodies and tones,” Greene said. “My number-one goal is to teach them to dig deep within and tap into their spirit.’ Kids Camp Idol is a two-week intensive program with a formal final live performance required. This year’s Kids Camp Idol will be held at the Adderley School for the Performing Arts in Pacific Palisades. Kids Camp Idol offers a chance to integrate individual skills in a peer group setting. To learn more about Kids Camp Idol, call (310) 650-SING.
Chamber Music Features Lazarof Premiere
Los Angeles composer Henri Lazarof will premier his newest composition, ‘Ensemble II for String Quartet and Four Hands,’ at Chamber Music Palisades’ final concert of the season on Tuesday, May 8 at St. Matthew’s Parish. The unusual work, which features two pianists at one keyboard, was commissioned by CMP as part of its ongoing pledge to encourage new music. Internationally acclaimed violinist Ida Levin and Ronald Leonard, former principal cello with the Los Angeles Philharmonic will head the cast of top Southern California musicians on the 8 p.m. program. Also to be performed will be Beethoven’s ‘Serenade, op. 25 in D Major for Flute, Viola and Violin’ and the ‘Piano Quartet, op. 25 in g minor’ by Johannes Brahms. All works will be introduced with commentary by KUSC/FM’s radio host Alan Chapman. Joining Levin and Leonard will be violinist Lorenz Gamma, pianist Ming Tsu and CMP Co-Artistic Directors flutist Susan Greenberg and pianist Delores Stevens. Henri Lazarof won the first prize at the International Competition of Monaco and the First International Prize, City of Milan, La Scala Award. He is the recipient of commissions from The Berlin Philharmonic, London Sinfonietta, Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Baltimore and Houston symphonies among others. No stranger to local audiences, violinist Levin made her professional debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at 10. She has gone on to establish an international reputation as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician and she has appeared as the latter on numerous CMP programs over the years. As principal cellist with the L.A. Philharmonic from 1975 to 1999, Leonard has performed under the batons of Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Carlo Maria Giulini, Andre Previn, Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen. He is currently the Gregor Piatigorsky, professor of cello at USC and is chairman of the university’s string department. In 1999 he assumed the conductorship of the Colburn School Chamber Orchestra. Tickets for the concert will be available at the door at $25 for single admission. Students with ID will be admitted free of charge. For information on CMP concerts call (310) 459-2070 or go to the website www.cmpalisades.org.
Calvert Keeps Right on Medaling
Neither Age Nor Injury Can Deter Local Badminton Champion from Competition
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Many who know her wonder how she does it. Perhaps she drinks from the fountain of youth. Or maybe, for her, age is a question of mind over matter’she doesn’t mind so it doesn’t matter. Whatever the reason, Lee Calvert seems to be getting better with age. One of Pacific Palisades’ most decorated athletes, the 82-year-old has made the Palisadian-Post’s athletes of the year list five times and has won hundreds of medals in badminton since she began competing when she was in her 50s. The shiniest additions to her ever-growing collection were brought home two weeks ago from the Canadian Masters Meet at the Boulevard Badminton Club in Toronto, where Calvert took golds in the 75+ and 80+ singles divisions and also collected a pair of silver medals in doubles. Calvert was among 300 athletes from all over the world, including Great Britain, Japan Pakistan and Peru, to compete at the event. She continues to win in spite of having had rotator cuff surgery, a hip replacement and knee injuries. The trickiest part may be getting her newly-won hardware through the metal detectors at the airport. “If I could die on the court while I’m winning, that would be the way to go,” Calvert says. Calvert learned to play her sport while attending Santa Monica High and she continued playing it for a short time in college. Once she was married, there wasn’t time for badminton. When her son was 5, she took a badminton course at her alma mater but never competed. Calvert’s second husband Larry Calvert was a world-class badminton champion. At one of his tournaments, Calvert remembers watching and telling him that she thought she should play herself. “Go for it!” was his response and, with that, she entered the world of competitive badminton. “I got into shape,” she remembers. “And then I was hooked.” Although she raised five children, so far none have followed Calvert into badminton. Daughter Nancy, who graduated from Palisades High, taught herself flamingo dancing. She now teaches and performs the dance, sometimes traveling to Argentina, and has urged her mother to try it. Mom isn’t sure she wants to. One of the aspects of badminton that Calvert enjoys most is the competition. Although her stepson Kim plays tennis and volleyball, the only other person in the family competing right now is Calvert’s granddaughter Catherine, who is on the UCLA soccer team. “I don’t miss a game,” Calvert says. “Unless I have a tournament myself.” When she’s not competing, Calvert works for Paramount Studios in international dialogue continuity. “I had to learn it on my own and now they have film schools to teach it,” she says. Calvert started going in once a week for her assignments but preferred to work from home because so many people on the set smoked. Her first show was ‘I Love Lucy.’ “I got to watch Lucille Ball on the set,” Calvert recalls. Her resume includes many famous television shows, including all of the original Star Trek and Mission Impossible scripts. She also worked on several films, including one starring Joan Crawford. One reason Calvert likes free-lancing is so she can work at night and still play badminton during the day. The next tournament she plans to play is the international combined age tournament in September, which she has won twice with Imre Bereknyei in the 120 age group. Though their combined age places them in the 130 group, they have chosen to “play down” to try and win the division three times in a row. “I want to keep physically fit and keep the enthusiasm,” says Calvert, who works out at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club four times a week. “I find it harder to compete after 78. I have to fight the loss of hand-eye coordination, sight and hearing loss.” Calvert also cross-trains at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA in a Fitness Forever course that includes weights, yoga and Pilates. She also does countless push-ups. “I started with three and have worked my way up to 15 or 20,” she says. “I’ve been working on these since I’ve been in my 70s. That’s the advantage I have over these other players is the fitness thing.”
Theodore Bikel Appears Tonight at KI
Theodore Bikel and Alberto Mizrahi, two celebrated figures of Jewish music, come together in a celebratory concert tonight, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Kehillat Israel synagogue, 16019 Sunset. The two have collaborated on a new CD entitled ‘Our Song,’ and they will perform many tunes from this new venture. Bikel, most known on stage for his performance as Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ has had a stage, film and television career of more than 60 years. In addition to his acting career, he has played a pivotal role in the world of folk and traditional music. Bikel co-founded the Newport Folk Festival in 1961 and has sung thousands of concerts in 23 languages throughout the world. He has recorded more than 20 albums and is also an accomplished translator of song lyrics. Along with his lifelong commitment to social justice and civil rights, Bikel has maintained a powerful connection to Jewish culture and causes. His great love of the cantorial arts led to an association with Greek-born cantor Alberto Mizrahi. Affectionately known as ‘the Jewish Pavarotti,’ Mizrahi has a repertoire that spans nine languages. He is featured in PBS’ USA/Europe- televised performance of ‘Cantors: A Faith in Song,’ broadcast from the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. He also performed recently with jazz pianist Dave Brubeck and his quartet in ‘Gates of Justice’ at Lincoln Center in New York. Mizrahi’s unique blend of Ashkenazic cantorial virtuosity and Sephardic and Mediterranean Jewish traditions place him in a position of preeminence in Jewish music. In their May concert, Bikel and Mizrahi will join in duets and perform solos that celebrate the heart and soul of Jewish music and tradition, while combining their technical and artistic prowess with great passion. Tickets, $72, are available at the door. Contact: (310) 459-2328 ext. 253.
Volleyball Seeded 15th
After sweeping Fairfax in its final match to clinch second place in the Western League last Wednesday, the Palisades High boys volleyball team was rewarded with the 15th-seed and a home match in the first round of the City Section playoffs, which begin tonight at 7. A committee met Tuesday night to determine the top 32 teams in the City and where they should be seeded for the playoffs. The top 16 teams open the playoffs at home. Winners of tonight’s matches continue in the championship bracket while the losers drop to the Invitational division. Second round matches are next Tuesday at the higher seed. Should Palisades beat 18th-seeded Franklin it would likely travel to second-seeded Taft, which opened against No. 21 Canoga Park. Second-round matches are next Tuesday at the higher seed. West Valley League teams netted the top four seeds in the playoffs. Defending City champion Granada Hills was No. 1, followed by Taft, Chatsworth and El Camino Real. Valley Mission League champion Sylmar was fifth, followed by Marine League champion Carson, Western League winner Venice, Sunset Six League champion Verdugo Hills and Northern League champion Marshall. Visit the Palisadian-Post Web site (www.palisadespost.com) to find out the Dolphins’ seed and opponent. Boys Tennis After a first-round bye, top-seeded Palisades beat No. 8 North Hollywood, 19-10 1/2. in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon at the Palisades Tennis Center. The Dolphins (21-3) advanced to next Wednesday’s semifinals against either No. 5 Carson or No. 4 Eagle Rock at the Balboa Sports Center in Encino. The finals are Friday May 11 at noon. Softball City officials meet today at Hamilton High to determine seedings for the playoffs, which begin next Tuesday at the higher seed’s home field. Palisades (12-5), which finished third in the Western League behind Westchester and Venice, will need to be seeded in the top half of the 32-team draw to earn a first-round home game.
St. Matthew’s Softball Wins League
It was a make or break week for the St. Matthew’s softball team and the Falcons came through like the champions they are. Tied for first place in the Pacific Basin League with Crossroads and Windward, the defending champions pulled off come-from-behind victories over both teams to claim the No. 1 seed and home field advantage in the playoffs, which begin next Monday. Against Crossroads last Tuesday, the Falcons fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but with the Roadrunners threatening to break the game open with the bases loaded and no outs, pitcher Cami Chapus snared a line drive and threw to third baseman Taylor Bartholomew, who then threw to second baseman Kelsey Reynolds to complete an inning-ending triple play. Run scoring singles by Jessica Goodkin and Danielle Greenberg tied the game, then Willa Ashley homered to give the Falcons a 4-2 lead. Crossroads stormed back to take a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning, but St. Matthew’s mounted a two-out rally on base hits by Chapus and Greenberg and a game-winning two-run double by Barbara Vlietstra. Chapus combined with Lauren Kaufman for the win. Two days later, St. Matthew’s played Windward in a rematch of last year’s league championship game. Nora Martin-Resnick had 10 strikeouts as the Wildcats jumped ahead 4-1, but once again the Falcons’ defense kept them in the game. Bartholomew’s unassisted double play and big catches by outfielders Goodkin and Molly Kornfeind prevented further damage. Well-executed bunts and alert base running led to St. Matthew’s scoring four runs in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead. Windward rallied for three runs in the fifth, but Greenberg led off the bottom of the frame with a hit and scored on a single by Ashley. Goodkin’s squeeze bunt scored Ashley to tie the game and Meredith Kornfeind doubled to score Vlietstra with the winning run. Boys Volleyball St. Matthew’s swept St. Paul, 26-24, 25-22, with eighth-grader Sullivan Washburn punctuating the victory with a stuff block to reach game point and a hard hit kill to finish the first game. In Game 2, St. Paul scored four straight points to close within two before seventh-grader Charlie Porter’s kills stemmed the tide. The Falcons earned their third straight sweep two days later with a 25-16, 25-19 win over Harvard-Westlake’s seventh-graders. Washburn again came up big with both a block and kill to end the first game. The second game was Conner Crane’s time to shine as he started the game with 12 straight service points. With the big lead established, Coach John Caravella emptied his bench. Also contributing to the win were seventh-graders Hadley Kia, Charlie Troy, Andrew Tinger, Stephen Carr, Young Douglas, Ryan Hiltermann and Lawrence Kondra and eighth-graders Sam Burt, Spencer Eichler, Lucas Helmintoller and Connor Lytle. Golf The Falcons edged Brentwood, 258-260, on Monday for their first victory of the season and their first win in the program’s three-year history. at the VA Golf Course 27 Low scorers Alex Hong and Andrew Tinger each shot a 10-over par 37 at the VA Hospital’s nine-hole course to give St. Matthew’s an early lead. With the match still in doubt, Ryan Gould sank a birdie putt on the ninth hole and Spencer Ward chipped from a hillside to within an inch of the cup and tapped in for a bogey to clinch the win. Also playing for the Falcons were sixth-grader Thomas Tortorici, seventh-grader Ryan Polsky and eighth-grader Deacon Frey. St. Matthew’s will play in the Pacific Basin League Championships on Saturday, May 12, at The Lakes in El Segundo.
Local Players Shine in Ojai
Lisa Steckmest, a junior at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, reached the semifinals of the Independent College doubles division at the 107th Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament last weekend in Ojai. She and her partner Stephanie Hammond were ITA Regional Champions last fall and are ITA Doubles All-Americans this year. Steckmest, who grew up in Pacific Palisades and was a team captain her senior year at Brentwood School, played at Connecticut College as a freshman before transferring to Claremont McKenna last year. In the first round, the Athenas’ pair beat Fresno Pacific’s Amandine Ferot and Megan Hanner, 6-4, 7-5. In the round of 16 they ousted Jessica Ruth and Megan Sweeney of UC Santa Cruz, 6-2, 6-1, and in the quarterfinals they beat Kaydee Graham and Kati Lynott of CS Bakersfield, 7-5, 6-3. In the Boys CIF (18-and-under) division, Palisadian Walker Kehrer of Brentwood reached the quarterfinals in singles, beating Omeed Ghassemi of Mater Dei, 6-0, 6-1, Victor Chien of Diamond Bar, 6-1, 6-1, and Kevin Cheng of Dos Pueblos, 6-2, 7-5, before falling to Pacific Christian’s Alex Brigham, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. For Palisades High, Ren Nielsen lost to Daniel Moss in the first round of the Boys CIF singles while the tandem of Michael Light and Sepehr Safii lost in the first round of the CIF doubles draw. In the Boys 16s singles, PaliHi’s Justin Atlan won his first round match over Jack Kessell of Santa Barbara, 6-0, 6-1, before losing to Alta Loma’s Henry Chi, 6-01, 6-2 in the round of 32. Ali Yazdi, Che Borja and Jeremy Shore lost first round matches. PaliHi freshman Kyung Choi reached the quarterfinals of the Boys 14s while Katy Nikolova, who played No. 1 singles for the Dolphins last season and won the City Individuals title, advanced to the quarterfinals in the Girls 18s.
